


a moment of the lips

by winterskin23



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 18:45:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12087105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterskin23/pseuds/winterskin23





	a moment of the lips

Theo chews on his lower lip when he’s stressed. During their first flying lesson as first years, Blaise watched Theo as he bit on his lower lip, hard, as he was hanging on for dear life on his broomstick. The next day, Theo’s developed sores on his lips. So young Blaise gave Theo his last box of Pixie Puffs, hoping that it would cheer him up because there was something about the scrawny boy that Blaise couldn’t put his finger on. All Blaise knew was that he thought Theo was brave for trying, and he admired him for that.

The Dueling Club started to commence during their second year. Every time Theo’s name got called his hands trembled, and sweats formed on his forehead like a pearlescent circlet. But that’s not all that Blaise noticed. With every stunning and blasting spell that Theo spewed out from his wand, he’d chew his bottom lip continuously. And at the end of each duel, Blaise could always make out an indentation of where Theo’s teeth bit down on. Blaise always gave him a pat on the back after every duel, or sometimes a hug when Theo didn’t do well; each hug a second longer than the last - because that’s what you do to make someone you were keen on feel important again.

Theo is not one for magical creatures. His face said it all. His eyes were wide, eyebrows were slanted upwards. With every hitched breath that Theo took as he looked upon lethal-looking Buckbeak, he’d chew on his lips, and chewed some more. The chewing continued, and even escalated as the gang waited around Draco’s hospital bed, as Draco wailed and wailed and wailed about how the hippogriff’s attacked him and how he was going to die. Only when Madam Pomfrey’s fixed Draco’s arm’s up and put it in a sling, Theo’s chewing had subsided. But Theo’s lips were now chapped and bruised, and even when they were pursed so thin they were barely visible, Blaise wanted to do something about it to ease his distress. 

And when Theo chewed most of his bottom lips off and maybe even the insides of his cheeks as well until his lips started to bleed almost two years later, Blaise instantly knew that something was horribly and definitely wrong.

At first Blaise thought maybe it was because of winter, the coldness that chilled him to the bone, or the cool wind that made the pair shiver and quiver as they tromped across the courtyard. It was not, Blaise then realized, because Theo was still shaky and apprehensive even after they had scored refuge inside the warm embrace of the castle.

As they descended upon the dungeons, Theo stepped abruptly, and leaned on one of the stone pillars, his eyes stony as cement. 

Theo let out a breath, “It goes without saying that you’ve always had my back for years. You think I didn’t notice, but I do. And I’ve never had that before from anyone. So I just would like to ask you, how long? Because I want to always have this…to have you. How long will you keep doing this?

Even when Theo’s lips were pursed so thin they were barely visible, Blaise wanted to do something about it to ease his distress and worries like always. 

So he dipped down and kissed Theo’s ruby stained lips softly, under the dim light of the moon that shone through the hallway’s etched windows, in hopes of erasing Theo’s fears away and letting Theo know that Blaise was and had been there for him. 

The kiss was quick but soft, considered, and comforting. Suddenly it’s like Theo was breathing out of water for the first time in years and Blaise felt like he had parted the sea that had submerged Theo for so long.

As the two boys parted, he let his thumb rest on Theo’s lips, making sure the sore bits won’t linger as he whispered, “Until these lips don’t bite or chew but laugh, baby”


End file.
